Pictures For Grandma: 2011

Hi Mom,

Here's some more on Tanzania. We visited a number of special people. Dr. Ole Kuney in a traditional Maasai village, Godfried Mashale in a Maasai village that has switched from herding to farming, and the city of Mwanza where we meet up with three of the children of Mr. Msaki (the school that had the tumblers). His oldest daughter Bahati is a pediatrician, and the younger son and daughter are university students (we've been helping with their tuition).

Dr. Ole Kuney is a classically trained MD who went back to his own people. He is now one of the top chiefs among his people. A truly amazing guy. David and Shelley really connected with him too. His main village is way out in the back of beyond. We had to drive 20 miles over two wheel tracks for about 45 minutes to get there. Emily and I donated two head of cattle for our 4th anniversary gifts to each other to his group. Here are some pictures from that trip:

Gives you an idea of what his land is like. It's actually behind the international airport we fly into and out of. A few miles but many centuries!!

Shelley and David finding out about some local lore on using thorn trees to answer questions about your life.

This is a baobab tree that is use by a very primitive tribe the Mdrobo. Children sleep in the hole there, while the parents sleep up in the branches.

Ole Kuney with two of his people and their herd. Our cows are with these cattle.

Here we are with him.

This is one our donated cattle. Not really interested in us.

Here he is with some of the boarding high school students. There are girls too, they are not allowed to go home until they have finished their studies. If they go home, they are usually married off.

This is what the donkeys we donate can be used for. We didn't donate these. Ours come later.

Getting ready to say good-bye

Our last view of him. He had to walk the 15 miles back to his village. He had already walked it to meet us, leaving about 2:30am.

Dr. Kuney's village is traditional in it's lifestyle. The people are herders and gatherers. They do a minimal amount of growing crops. Water is a major issue in most of its area. Sometimes water is two or three days from where the people live.

The next day we went to Kiserian village. It is also Maasai, but they have moved to farming. They grow corn and beans, but it is really difficult dry land farming. This is where our donkeys are. Emily's family donated oxen and a plow (we did a few years ago too) named after her aunt and uncle, a propane stove, and a milk cow (a heifer actually) named after her mother. Some pictures:

We were welcomed in on a rainy morning with a great deal of singing and dancing

Maasai have a lot of jumping in their dances

More dancing

And still more!! We felt very welcomed!

Here's Shelley trying to learn the song. These are traditional songs and dances that are dying out. Godfried is working with the women to keep them alive.

These containers are the normal vessel for hauling water. They're 20 liters each (a bit over 5 gallons). The four together weigh about 175lbs. You either haul by hand or by donkey, and you may have to haul it more than 5 miles! That's why we donate donkeys!!

We donated 5 donkeys, one for each of the Kinney sisters. This one is Betty.

This is Dee. This woman has started a business hauling charcoal from town with the donkey, then selling it at a small profit. The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well!

This is Margie

and Tommie

And all of us (including Godfried) with your donkey. They are much appreciated and well received.

Emily's family has a reunion every 3 years. If you remember, we headed to Arkansas 4 years ago to attend one. Well they collect donations for animals and we match what they raise. We got to donate the pair of oxen, the stove, and the heifer.

Henry (left) and Augusta plowing for us. They can plow half an acre per day and are shared by 5 families.

Emily presenting the gas stove. Charcoal or wood is the normal way of cooking, but it's killing too many trees. This may have to be the future.

This is Selma (named after Emily's mom). You've got one named earlier after you in the village too.

Singing and dancing are the normal ways of celebration. David is watching the family and their friends celebrating the receiving of Selma.

Here are some other pictures from Kiserian:

A bit of a view of the land around Kiserian

We all received gifts of traditional clothing. Here is Shelley being dressed.

Shelley and one of the women in the community.


A good day to do home repairs. It was rainy and really muddy. If your home is made from the mud, it's a good day to do those needed repairs.

With that, we leave Kiserian and head for Mwanza on Lake Victoria. We stayed right on the shore and did do a quick boat trip on the lake.

Baraka, Bahati, and Neema. The children of Mr. Msaki. Bahati is the pediatrician at the local hospital. Baraka will finish his degree in business economics in June, and Neema will finish a law degree in June (then she'll have one more year to study for her license as a lawyer). This is Neema's dorm room. Pretty much like dorm rooms the world over!

All of us together just before we left.

Our "foot models"

OK. Back in Arusha for a bit of shopping, and meeting a couple more people before flying out. One of the people was Mboyo. Emily was the intermediary for getting Mboyo through nursing school. At times it was doubtful and challenging, but ultimately he graduated and has done very well.

Mboyo and his nursing licenses and certificates. He actually tutoring at a nursing school in southern Tanzania. He traveled about 900 miles one way to see us (17 hours on scary busses)!